Continuous belt-type fluid treatment apparatus



Dec. 16, 1952 c. KATZEN ETAL 2,621,573

CONTINUOUS BELT-TYPE FLUID TREATMENT APPARATUS Filed Jan. 14, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gvwwvtom lgrus Kalzeiv, 12 0.5. d Timin /51?. Games,

ATTOR N EY Dec. 16, 1952 c. KATZEN ET AL 2,621,573

CONTINUOUS BELT-TYPE FLUID TREATMENT APPARATUS Filed Jan. 14, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Cyrus Kaclzen, 05. d Thomas R. Hid/mes,

ATTORNEY awe/Mow:

Dec. 16, 1952 c. KATZEN ETAL 2,621,573

commuous BELT-TYPE FLUID TREATMENT APPARATUS Filed Jan. 14, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 @yrw Kw Z'zem, 0 0.5. &6 1770mm 1?. flames,

m WWI/2% ATTOR N EY Patented Dec. 16, 1952 CONTINUOUS BELT-TYPE FLUID TREATMENT APPARATUS Cyrus Katzen and Thomas R. Games, Washington, D. 0.

Application January 14, 1949, Serial No. 70,992

' 7 Claims.

1 This invention pertains to fluid treating apparatus, and to improvements therein which are especially adapted, although not limited to, the

fluid treatment of photographic films, plates and the like.

It is an object of the. present invention to provide an improved fluid treatment apparatus for separate or discrete elements such as photographic negative films or the like, which willbe continuous in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind in which no separate tanks or other fluid containing vessels of conventional types are employed, but in which the fluid receptacles are continuouslyformed by portions of a traveling belt or the like, which also serves to convey the articles being treated through the apparatus.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a system of the kind indicated in which each portion of the traveling belt serves at times as a conveyor portion, and at other times as a fluid receptacle wall-forming unit, so thatthe surfaces which are periodically in contact with the various treating fluids are ultimately returned to a state or configuration in which their regular and systematic cleaning may readily be accomplished in a continuous manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this type in which a traveling belt is caused to follow a path such that its lateral edges are folded upward toward one another to provide treating fluid receiving pockets at spaced points along the travel of the belt, and between successive pockets the belt portions are pressed firm y into contact with one another, so as to exert a wiping or squeegee action upon films or the like passing along with the belt-thereby to reduce the degree of contamination of the successive treating fluids by fluid carried over with the belt and film from preceding stages.

An additional object of the invention is to provide for the continual addition of fresh treating fluid to the respective pockets formed by the belt, and for the continual removal of spent or exhausted fluids therefrom, all without interrupting the continuous movement of the belt in its path.

Still another object is to provide a fluid treating apparatus in which the articles, such as photographic films or the like, are held and conveyed between two separate or distinct belts which are arranged to pass into face to face contact with one another during a portion of their travel, the contacting belts together with any material therebetween being arranged'to dip into the successive treating fluids.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this type in which articles are conveyed between normally contacting faces of conveyor belts, and in which treating fluids are injected into the space between the belts (largely occupied by the article conveyed thereby) at one point and removed therefrom at another point. The different zones of treatment are defined by spaced squeeze rollers which substantially prevent migration of fluid from one zone into the adjacent zones.-

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved and novel method of fluid treatment 1fir articles such as photographic films or the 1 e.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will best be understood from the following detailed specification of certain preaferred embodiments thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of machine embodying the invention,

. Fig. 2 is an end view of the entrance end of the machine,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the internal construction of the machine of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3A is a side elevation of Fig. 3,

Fig. 3B is a View, to a larger scale, of a portion of the belt sprocket driving means,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view taken on line 5-5 Fig. 1',

Fig. 6 is a plan view, largely schematic, of a second arrangement similar to that of Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 5, and partly in section, of a further modification of the invention,

Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively plan and side elevational views of still another form of the invention,

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of a further modification,

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on line |l--H of Fig. 10,

Fig. 12 is a sectional view illustrating another modification, and

Fig. 13 is a sectional view (to a larger scale) illustrating a preferred method of applying treating fluids to materials conveyed between separate but adjacent belts.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate one form of improved fluid treating apparatus housed in an elongated cabinet I provided with an access door 2 hinged at 3 along a lateral wall of the casing and provided with catches 4 to maintain it in light-tight relation to the remainder of the casing. At the entrance end of the machine (the left end as viewed in Fig. 1) a portion of the end casing wall is deflected inwardly to provide two curved wings 6 defining between them an entrance aperture 5 within which may be inserted films or other articles to be passed through the treatment.

The general treating system of the invention consists in an elongated belt conveyor which is folded lengthwise for a portion only of its travel to provide upstanding pockets or chambers. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 3A of the drawings, which illustrate the apparatus separated'from the external housing I, there are provided side frame supports or angle bars ID, 12 which-run the length of the apparatus, and are cross-connected as by transverse braces or-angle bar supports I 4 and l B. A floor plate or support table l8. relatively narrow in lateral dimension connects or extends between the transverse braces l4 and T8,: and carries'at spaced points along-its length a plurality of belt roll support brackets'or boxesf29,

'each of which contains a set of two or more (herein four) rollers 22, which may be rubber covered or similarly constructed so as to pinch betweenxthem the two halves of a conveyor belt/24 when the latter is doubled upon itself. Eachof the rollers 22 is positively driven at the same predetermined speed, as by a sprocketill on the lower end of each roller-shaft beneath table It,

"allcf the sprockets being interconnected by a drivechain 28 (see especially Fig. 3) which passes also around guide pulleys 30 and 32, and'thence over sprockets on the ends of the shafts of a pair of belt rolls 34, 35 journalled between frame elements [.0 and I2 at opposite ends thereof. A 'suitablemotor unit 33 and gear reduction speed controller are provided to drive the roller .36 and-also all of the drive sprockets 26 in synchronous relationship.

As best shown in Fig. 3A, the return path 'of belt24 passes beneath the table l8 and theside frame It), I2, and thence upwardly about roller -34, after which it is doubled upon itself and passes in a vertical position betweenthe successive rollers 22. In assembling the apparatus in the first instance, the length of .belt 241s made of such length as to permit the sections of doubled belt between successive roller boxes 2;) to be separated somewhat as illustrated in Fig. 3, thus forming between each two successive boxes a pocket or chamber 42 adapted to receive and contain a quantity of a suitable treating fluid. In the case of ordinary photographic films or the like, the successive solutions, reading from left to right in Fig.3, may be a developer solution, a short-stop solution, a plain water wash, a fixer solution and a second plain water wash. The invention is not, of .course,'to be limited to these specific solutions; for example, where high speeds are desired, it maybe expedient to use other than plain .water for the wash baths, for instance a mixture of water: andethyl alcohol or similar volatile drying agent. Also, a terminal portion of the conveyor belt (nearthe exit end of the machine) may be devoted to the drying of the films or other articles, as bysradiantheat or the like.

In passing from one treatment chamber to the next, both the folded belt and any articles, such as a film, pass between the drive rollers 22 which aredimensioned to press tightly against the outer belt surfaces. This operates to squeeze all solution away from the inner belt surfaces, and from the'films or the like, back into the pocket from =whichthe film is being withdrawn, and delivers the film into the next pocket with a minimum 4 quantity of the treating solution adhering thereto. Contamination of the successive baths by carry-over of fluid is thus greatly reduced, as well as is the rate of depletion of the fluid in each of the treatment pockets.

In order to provide for the replenishment of the fluids in the various pockets, .or for the injection of fresh solutions thereinto, we have illustrated a series of storage tanks 44 shown by way of example as located above the path of travel of the belt, although it will be apparent that such storage tanks may equally well be located beneath or to either side of the belt if suitable pumps or the like are provided to force the fluids from said tanks into the respective pockets. The storage tanks and their contents may be maintained at the desired temperature by supp-lying heat or refrigeration in accordance with well known procedures. In the gravity feed system shown by way of example'in the draWing .each

of thetanks is provided withanoutlet con- .duit 4t which may be controlled bya valve orthe like to :regulate the flow of solution therefrom into the corresponding treatment pocket-formed ,by the belt. .In cases where pumps are used to convey fiuids from thestorage tanks, the flow maybergoverncd controlling the rateof delivcry of the pumps.

The continuous removal-ofsolution fromeach pocket may be carried out in various ways for example by simple overflow from a notchor the like formed at spaced points along onc or .both edges of the belt, the notches or hole forming outlet .wiers along the upper edge of the folded belt. Equally well, as will be-described inconnection with Fig. 7, the outlet may-be provided by a series of holes formed through the .material of belt .24 along its center line,"wh'ich-holes will, therefore belocated at the bottoms of the respective pockets, the size of the .holes being chosen to provide a-properrate of removal of solution from thebottom of each pocket. The liquidsso .removedimay be collected in individual sumps for return to the storage tank l4, or if dcsireclmay'be conveyed to a suitable drain. As shown in the drawings, however, such removalcf solution may-also be accomplished .by a simple syphon arrangement 48-dipping into each pocket 42 and draining a controlled amount of its contents continuously to either a common drain sump, or (where water supply is critical) to individual drains, some of which may discharge towater purification or the like apparatus to permit continuous recirculation of the water, which might otherwise be used inlarge quantities. Solutions other than water, of course,may alsobe recirculated and/or purified "in the same manner, whereconditions warrant.

We-have found that the belt Z lmay be formed of various materials; fairly thin rubber or flexible plastics such as vinyl plastics may be used, or cloth which has been subjected to a waterproofing treatment. The important characteristics are suflicient pliability or flexibility to enablethe material :to be folded along its length 'within a reasonable distance, and a resistance to cracking or perforation in the region of the fold.

To aid in the formation of the pockets 42 by the belt, itis desirable to secure to the bed plate 5.8 a forming member 59 bestshown in Fig. 5 as an approximately V-shaped section of sheetmetal or the like, the-upper edges52 of which are rolled over toireceive the horizontal edges of belt .24 therein and to guide the same laterally and thereby to produce the open pocket 42.

treating area of the belt.

Various means may be employed to assist in the drying of films or similar articles as they are removed from the last treatment stage of the apparatus.

'the bottom of the machine from roller 36 to roller 34.

In cases where the apparatus is'to be installed between a darkroom and some other space, the casingl of Figs. 1 to 3 may be omitted and the apparatus installed so as to pass through a suitably light-trapped aperture in the darkroom wall,

with the entrance slot 5 on the darkroom side. In such cases the apparatus is to be located so that the initial portion of the treating section will also lie within the darkroom, whereby films or the like passing into the other space will bein a condition in which they will not be injured by light striking the apparatus. Films or other articles which "have been conveyed through the entire treating process will emerge from between the doubled. belt halves at the right end of the machine in Fig. 1, and from that point may be removed by hand, allowed to accumulateasin a drawer or other receiving compartment, 'or handled inany other desired manner.

Whilewe have so far described the apparatus in connection with discrete films or other separate articles, it is clear that the same apparatus may be used for treating strips of material such as roll films-or the like. In such cases, one end of the strip of film or the like is merely inserted between the doubled-over portions of the belt at the entrance end, and the remainder of the strip suitably supported (as by hand) until the machine has drawn the entire length into the For purposes of conserving space, or making a more efficient utilization of available floor area,

"it is feasibleto arrange our improved type of fluid "treating apparatusin other than a straight line as in' Fig. 1. Fig. 6 of the drawings schematically illustrates an embodiment in which the conveyor system has been folded backupon itself into a square U formation. In this form 'of the invention, the turning of the conveyor belt in its folded condition may readily be accomplished by arranging certain of the setsof rollers at" right angles to one another. In thise mbodiment the return half of belt 24 beneath the support table 60 may be defined by a pair of rollers 62 lying at 45 angles to "the general direction of the legs of the U. The arrangement of drive'sprockets, motors and fluid supply and removal systems have been omitted from Fig. 6 since these may be of a type identical with those disclosed in con- Such means may comprise a blower, indicated schematically at 54 in Fig. 3, with or 6 the like through which articles may be moved in succession by the conveying action of the same belt. It will be readily understood that the device when in operation is loaded by the insertion of the article to be treated within the nip of the belt as it enters the first set of vertical driving rollers, after which the transmission of the article through the succession of treating baths is completely automatic, and the treated article is automatically discharged into a suitable container from the belt as it emerges from nection with Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The

essence of our present invention lies -in the elimination of separate stationary fluid treating tanks, and "or the mechanism necessary to direct aconveyor through such tanks, by so arranging the 'b'ielt'or conveyor as to cause it to form, itself, a series offlui-cbcontainingpockets, chambers or the nip of the last set of vertical drive rollers. In

order to' accomplish a change in the length of time in which an article remains in the bath, the speed of the conveyor belt may be caused'to vary by any conventional speed, controlling means (such as that indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 by numeral 40). 'We have found that a conveyor belt speed of the order of 3" per minute is satisfactory for the treatment of such articles as a dental -Xray'film 64 (indicated'in' dash lines at the left of Fig. 3A) but the speeds and 'the dimensions of the machine may be widely varied without departing from the basic concept of our invention.

Fig. 7 of the drawings is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the apparatus described above, in whicha doubled portion of the conveyor belt is designated by numeral 65.

In this modification, the amount of slackin the belt between successive sets of driving rollers is made as small as possible, so that the doubled halves of the belt, and the mouth between the adjacent belt edges, are normally'closed or in face-to-face relation. Between the successive sets of drive rollers, however, the side walls of the folded belt are ballooned outwardly by the pressure resulting from the introduction: of the treating fluid. The lower edge of the doubled belt (at the fold line) -is provided with perforations as indicated at 66, which communicate with a hole formed through a belt-supporting Y-shaped member 68. Liquid passing through orifice 66 thus reaches a sump I0 and is returned by a pump 12 driven by motor '14, and via a conduit 16, to a point on the upper edge of the folded belt. Conduit 1 6 there terminates'in-an injection nozzle 18 of sufficiently small size to lie between the adjacent belt edges andbe held in fluid-tight relation thereto because, of the tension in the belt materiaLwhich tends to hold the edges in intimate contact except at the point where nozzle 18 passes between them. It will be understood that fluid purification, means may be kgprovided between the outlet 66 and the inlet nozzle 18, as suggested above.- Also, the use of inserted nozzle 18 for injecting fluids betweenthe belt portions is not limited to systems which utiflize recirculation; where the spent fluid isfof no value, it may be conveyed from 'orifice66 directly to'a drain pipe. v f

u The forms of the apparatus described above deal entirely with the use of a doubled beltwhose fold line is vertically beneath those belt edges which define the opposite end of the treating pocket or chamber. The principles of the invention, however, may also be applied in' apparatus in which the treating pockets or chambers are defined byhorizontally arranged belt portions.

In Figs. 8 and 9, the doubled section of the 'belt 82 is arranged for travel in a horizontal plane defined by the successivedrive roll assemblies 84. As best shown in Fig. 9, those sections ps the doubled belt lying between successive drive roll assemblies maybe deflected "downwardly iaeznsza a rbeneath suide;r 11s:= 6 andinto .a serie o t atingafluid-receptacles188,:so thata film or like article introduced between the -sides of the doubled th oug {t e succession of treat n baths and charged at the. opposite end of i the machine.

A Qthe Iform of the invention utilizing hori- ,z ontally arranged vbelts is illustrated in ,Figs.

and 11,1 of the drawings, th ,former showing ,an

ripper belt 32 supported on rollers 94 arranged .,t o v,causethe,lQWer pass of the belt to lie in a horizontal plane in close proximity to the upper 'pass of; -,a lower' belt 95 guided upon rollers 98. Driving power f or the fsandwich is furnished by setsof drive rollers I00 similar to drive rollers ,.be ts]aand thro h the u e i e t in baths.

A lam J or equ a e yin apparat as described connection with the previous embodiments may be provided adjacent -the exi t end of the apparatus. ,In this form of apparatus, treating fluid reaches the article held between the belts by transmission between the beltsflthrough thenormal interstices which will be formed-at the belt edges by provision of the proper amount of slack :between the progressive sel tqf drive rollers Hill. This ispreferred over th ..ut1lin ation or porous belts, for the reason that whileimpervious belts will be squeegeed" s isiactorilyiby the successive sets of drive rollbeheld in sealing relation to one another, and wi'll'be fixed with respect to the apparatus frame so that the belt portions will slide between the ,opposedlateral surfaces of the clips. Numerals fllaand H0 designateseparate but adjacent belt .se done [in this ii ure, a be e t m t e is llustrated:aphotographic film 64 or like arti esu dergoing tre ment.

l ernati e m tho or v.i. t w: ng treatin o he sp ced o ke s-o am e s o med g. alO), ustrated in Fig. 13. Instead of defle ting the upe mp sed e t downwa d in o 'qlldflfl in flliidreceptacles, the belt edges are again 'held in close contact by clips I I2 similar to those of 12, these being suitably apertured at each treating stationto receive a fluid inlet nozale 1 l4 which passesbetween the belt edges and conveys the fluid into the pocket I I6, for exampieirorn a pump H8 ,or other suitable supply. ,Fluid vso introduced fills the pocket or chamber [16 ,;and is removed therefrom at the opposite edge 91 thefbelts by an exit tube I20. The genergal flowwof treating fluid in accordance with this method is, therefore, in a direction cross- W? 9f the ,belts' whic'h' is to say at substantially a right angle to the direction of movement o thearticle 64 being treated. hism o treaimentpreseuts great advan ages ,inoompacttha a f lm o l a cle intr du d a ina ,ness of th equipm nt eas o control so! the am u t of treat n f id .1 applied 1 to each-article an e ta s imum waste of suahfluid- While we ,have disclosed .certain preferred .em-

rbodimentsfof our improved method and apps.-

ratus in accordance with the principles or ,the invention. we wishit to ,be understood ,thahthe details disclosed herein are ,largel ytexamplary,

--and may be widel varied without departing .from the spirit offlour invention as defined-in the appendedsclaims.

We claim:

;1. Fluid treating apparatus comprisin econv yor belt of fl xi l materia arrang d to -naye between substantially horizontal rollers and ,means for deforming said belt intoa succession o s parate, upwa l op nin pockets closedrat their ott m d s and dapt d to contain treating fluids.

.2 ..F1u d "t eatin pparatus comprising a f am work, sp ced horizontal belt ;;ro lers .viouron f :said elt int i olded roond tio imeanslior e ne op e side a old d nortionio said belt into contact with one another along horL ntaliy spa ed ertica lin s t I rm spaced p e a means .for introducing treatin fluids into said pockets.

3. Fluid t eatin ppara us compr sing arcanvey r b lt. m ans .Ior driving said :lzelt alone @a p rmin d path. mea s ,io defle ting a t n o said belt int an upward ysqpeniae doule ondition. mea s .Ior :iorclng into intimat C ntact with one an t er e ements of the deflected portion which are spacediro n one ,anth i e direc on of t a e of aid belt o pr vi e a rea ing chamber. :ine ns or returnns said l to flat ned ondition at a; aterpoint i s d p th, and ,mea s or in roducing tr ating fluid into saidchamh r for contact with articles conveyed between the doubled portion of the belt.

4. Fluid tre n apparat srio d velop ng. fixi g nd a hingp o ographic p ates or or the like, comprisin a li ht-ti ht,hous aumcans efin g an en ce ap ture a ne e d, otsa d housing, a belt conveyor vinsaidhousing,having at a st a po t n of tsl asth arranged i douled on on t defin sepa ate upwa dly openrisv ck ts o ch mbers, me n or gu in articles to be treated through saidaperture and, into thegripof h dou ed b lt, means for introdu n treat ng flu s i t .said po kets and meansio driving said conveyor.

5. Fluid treating apparat s of the haracte c i ed c mprisin conveyor halt .for rel tively wide, flat, flexible ;material, means for ,driw ing said belt past )a series of treating stations. meansflfor deflecting said belt into laterallydoubled-over condition in advanceof the first treating station, means adjacent each station forforcing the doubled-over belt portions into contact with one another at spaced po nts, mean for maintaining the doubled-over beltportions spaced from each other intermediate said points to define spaced treating chambers, and means for driving said belt to convey articles through said treating chambers.

6. Fluid treating apparatuscomprising a belt with one another, means for applying a succession of tneatinaiiuids o thes acedcfiued between 9 said belt portions at spaced stations in their travel, and means for forcing said portions toward and into sealing contact with one another at points intermediate said spaced stations.

7. Fluid treating apparatus comprising a belt conveyor having a doubled portion arranged for travel with its doubled halves in faceto -face relation with one another, means for applying a succession of treating fluids to the space defined between said halves at spaced stations in their travel, and means for forcing said halves toward and into contact with one another at points intermediate said spaced stations to define separate pockets to receive said fluids.

CYRUS KATZEN. THOMAS R. GAMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

